Matt Collins came to writing from a horticultural background. He trained at the National Botanic Garden of Wales before taking up a consultancy position with the Garden Museum in London and serving as head gardener for a private residence in Richmond. Passionate about wild flowers, he is interested in the intersection of city and natural landscapes, and the ways in which naturalized flora responds to manmade environments. Matt documents his written and horticultural work at orangetip.co.uk.
Roo Lewis is a fashion and advertising photographer based from his North London studio. Growing up in Dorset he was surrounded by the natural world and now chooses to base much of his personal work on exploring the subject. When not shooting for clients such as VICE, Getty, Topshop, Audi and Sony, Roo can be found in the darkroom printing his latest projects. www.roolewis.com
I would like to thank everyone at Pavilion involved in putting this book together; in particular Katie, Diana, Laura and Claire. Special thanks to Krissy for managing the book’s development and for her dependable guidance, planning and support throughout.
This book wouldn’t have been possible without Roo Lewis’ beautiful photography. His efforts to capture flowering plants during an abnormally damp and overcast summer are testament to the great level of skill with which he operates. Roo’s persistent willingness to free up time for last-minute jaunts up and down the country have also contributed immensely to the realization of My Tiny Flower Garden.
I am enormously grateful to each of the gardeners who have shared their unique and wonderful green spaces with us. It’s been a great experience visiting the gardens and documenting something of the stories behind their creation. Many thanks also to Alice and Ady for the loan of their gorgeous flat, in which we shot some of the book’s practical features.
Lastly I want to thank Clementine for her immeasurable support over this last year. Aside from her unceasing patience with my frequent flower trips both at home and abroad, much of this book is owed to her continued input, advice and encouragement.